Dante Sonata - General Introduction
Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata (more commonly known as the Dante Sonata) is a piano sonata that was composed by Franz Liszt in 1849 – though it was not published until 1856 when it was included as part of the second volume of his Années de pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage). The work has its roots, however, in fragments composed in the late 1830s, whilst its title refers to Victor Hugo’s poem of the same name – giving the resultant sonata a complex genesis.
Margaret Williams’ film delves into the various layers of ideas found within Dante’s original work and its relationship to Liszt’s music. And thus, she brings to life two of its main characters – Virgil and Beatrice – weaving their perspectives through a choreography of body and camera.
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